The points of issue
Thoreau's first book, published at his own expense by James Munroe & Co., Boston, 1849, in an edition of 1,000 copies. First issue has the original 1849 Munroe title leaf. Famous for poor sales: Munroe returned 706 unsold copies to Thoreau in 1853 (256 bound, 450 in sheets). In 1862 Ticknor & Fields acquired 145 bound copies and the 450 sheets and reissued them with a cancel title page — the second issue. The genuine first issue must have the integral, un-cancelled 1849 Munroe title leaf, not the Ticknor & Fields cancel.
Is this the true first?
US true first, 1849, Munroe. The 1862 reissue (remaindered copies and sheets fitted with a Ticknor & Fields cancel title) is a later state; first issue is identified by the original, un-cancelled 1849 Munroe title page.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The 1862 Ticknor & Fields cancel-title reissue and later reprints postdate the first; first issue is identified by the integral, un-cancelled 1849 Munroe title leaf.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Thoreau's first book, published at his own expense by James Munroe & Co., Boston, 1849, in an edition of 1,000 copies. First issue has the original 1849 Munroe title leaf. Famous for poor sales: Munroe returned 706 unsold copies to Thoreau in 1853 (256 bound, 450 in sheets). In 1862 Ticknor & Fields acquired 145 bound copies and the 450 sheets and reissued them with a cancel title page — the second issue. The genuine first issue must have the integral, un-cancelled 1849 Munroe title leaf, not the Ticknor & Fields cancel.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. US true first, 1849, Munroe. The 1862 reissue (remaindered copies and sheets fitted with a Ticknor & Fields cancel title) is a later state; first issue is identified by the original, un-cancelled 1849 Munroe title page.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
The 1862 Ticknor & Fields cancel-title reissue and later reprints postdate the first; first issue is identified by the integral, un-cancelled 1849 Munroe title leaf.
I have a first edition of A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.